2005 Trip to Rome

In June 2005 I was one of the speakers for the Prince of Liechtenstein Fellowship for Catholic Leaders, sponsored by College Compass, a student apostolate associated with Regnum Christi and the Legionaries of Christ. I gave four talks on evangelization and campus ministry at Boncourt, Switzerland, and then joined the students for a pilgrimage to Rome.

Boncourt, Switzerland

The girls stayed at the Guilé Foundation in Boncourt; this is where I stayed the first night, and where I gave my talks.

Ryan Richardson, a recent graduate of Loyola New Orleans has been Acting Executive Director for the past year; Fr. John Bartunek, LC, was one of the chaplains for the conference.

The parish church in Boncourt and some village scenes.

Lucelle, France, and vicinity

The guys stayed at Le Petit Kohlberg in Lucelle, France (southern Alsace). The grotto was built at the inn in a previous year by the students--250 neighbors came to the mass of dedication.

Below, the village of Ferrette, in the shadow of a 13th century castle. My sister and niece came to visit me from Germany and stayed at the Hotel de la Cigogne in nearby Miecourt. Between Lucelle and Miecourt you'll find a beautiful medieval abbey, now used as an old folks home.

Montbeliard and vicinity

My sister and I wandered around the vicinity of Montbeliard. From Montbeliard, for three hundred years the only Lutheran province in France, ruled by the dukes of Wuerttemberg, the British recruited the "Foreign Protestants" to settle the Halifax, NS, vicinity in 1753, in anticipation of the expulsion of the Acadians in 1755. These were my wife's ancestors. Pictured are the castle of the dukes of Wuerttemberg, a map of the former Montbeliard county, an early 17th century Lutheran church, a statue of Georges Cuvier in the plaza in front of the church, and a castle we saw on the way to Montbeliard.

South of Montbeliard is Mandeure, known in Roman times as Epomanduodurum. The 1st century Roman theater held 20,000.  The little chapel of Notre Dame de Bonsecours is adjacent to it.

Etobon, where some of my wife's ancestors originated.

Ronchamp, Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut

Northwest of Montbeliard is the village of Ronchamp, home to one of the landmarks of modern religious architecture, Notre Dame du Haut. Le Corbusier's chapel is the third built on this site; the first was destroyed by lightning in 1913, the second by artillery in 1944. The current chapel is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The third picture shows the view looking down from the heights on which the chapel stands. I approached the chapel with some skepticism. It's the epitome of modernist architecture in some ways ... and yet stands out as distinct from modernism in other ways. This was one of the most prayer-evocative spaces I encountered in Europe. The interplay of light and shape inside compels one to be silent. There are several small chapels around the main chapel, as well as an outside altar for larger groups.

Basel

The following day we went to Basel, and the highlight of the city for me was the cathedral. It's Romanesque, with Gothic additions. It was consecrated by Emperor Henry II in 1019. The facade features carvings of St. George and the Dragon on the left and St. Martin of Tours on the right. The main doorway was completed in 1280. It became Reformed under Johann Oecolampadius (statue); originally a follower of Luther, he adopted Zwingli's understanding of the Eucharist. The "reform" of the building is not as drastic as what happened in Zurich under Zwingli's direction, though. You can ascend the tower and look out over the Rhine River. Among those buried in the cathedral is Erasmus, who taught in Basel the last years of his life.

Stained glass windows come from a 19th century restoration.

Martrydom of St. Vincent, carved in 1160.

One of the capitals from the choir, 1180.

Bishop Rudolph II, "slain by the heathen" ca. 917.

Frescoes from the crypt. Those on the left depict scenes from the life of St. Martin of Tours. Those on the right have been recently discovered. The arches that cover them were built in the 14th century.

A dragon depicted on the original floor of the cathedral, ca. 1170, below the pulpit.

The apostles, from ca. 1100.

From left to right: the font, effigies of two knights, the memorial plaque of Erasmus, sign above the alms box, and detail of the choir stalls.

Basel's colorful Rathaus, or city hall, dates from the 15th century.

Other scenes around Basel. Note the frog carving on the wall behind the bulldog.

Southern Germany

From Basel, we headed to Zurich via a detour through Bavaria. We stopped at a small village church; below the altar was a sign warning of the alarm system. My sister didn't see the sign, and sent the alarm blaring--we quickly headed for the car, before I could take photos of the outside of the building.

We visited Schloss Beuggen, a 16th century fortress now operated as a retreat and conference center by the Baden Landeskirche (Protestant).

A couple of Bavarian churches.

Zurich

Zurich has a wonderfully preserved old town (only problem is you have to drive through the ugly modern city to get to it). This was the home of Zwingli's reformation.

St. Peter's Church. The first church on the spot was built ca. 800. The current tower and choir were built in the early 13th century. Like all the other medieval churches in Zurich, it followed Ulrich Zwingli's reform. The rest of the building dates from 1705, and was the first Reformed construction in the city; thus what is seen now is not an adaptation of existing construction for Reformed worship, but reflects Reformed principles on the centrality of the preached word.

The twin-towered Grossmuenster was Zwingli's parish; he was followed as pastor there by Heinrich Bullinger (depicted in a stone carving on the side). The building was completed in 1260. Bronze doors on one side depict Biblical events, on the other, events of the Reformation. Inside, traces of medieval art have been uncovered; a statue of Charlemagne can be found in the crypt. The nave and choir, though, are gutted. There isn't even a communion table to be seen; the pulpit is the center of attention. Ironically, it was closed when I first stopped by for a play on the life of St. Francis of Assisi.

Near the water's edge is the Wasserkirche, whose Gothic nave contrasts with its facade. A statue of Zwingli stands next to it.

Across the river from the Grossmuenster is the Fraumuenster, founded in 853 with its abbey. The present building was begun in 1250.

Adventuresome dining in Europe.

Rome

I'm grouping my Rome pictures thematically rather than chronologically. I said good-bye to my sister in Zurich and then connected with the Compass fellows; we took the night train to Rome, arriving about 9:30 on the morning of June 13.

We walked from the Victor Emmanuel Monument to the Colosseum, passing the Forum, then walked through the Forum. My batteries died after the Arch of Titus (detail of the Romans carrying the menorah from the temple). I went on to visit the Senate, the Mamertine Prison, meeting the others at Santa Maria in Aracoeli.

On Wednesday, June 15, we waited in the rain for the papal audience; the sun came out shortly after Pope Benedict arrived.

We ascended the cupola of St. Peter's one day, and on another day we toured the Scavi, led by Fr. Jim Farnen (sp?) of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. The tour ends before what is believed to be the tomb of Peter, with what are claimed to be his bones visible in plastic boxes.

The group celebrated mass early Thursday morning at the tomb of Pope St. Leo the Great. The sculpture above the altar depicts his confrontation with Attila the Hun. Nearby is the altar of Pope Alexander VII; death came to him as to all, is the meaning of the shrouded skeleton with an hour glass; a figure representing Truth stands on the globe, her toe pierced by a thorn sprouting from England (the Pope's greatest challenge). Several popes are visible in their tombs; this is Pope St. Pius X. The final picture is the statue of St. Andrew (for my son).

A priest who worked with Mother Theresa and now teaches at Dunwoodie Seminary (can't recall his name), chatted with us in the Piazza.

Pictures taken from within the Vatican Museum. The bronze pine cone dates to Roman times, and stood in the center of the courtyard of Constantine's basilica.

Fr. John Bartunek led us on a tour of churches with Caravaggio paintings. Two are in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, the Augustinian church and monastery where Luther stayed in 1511. Fr. John, a convert to Catholicism, celebrated his first mass on the altar Luther used. The painting on the left is of the crucifixion of Peter; on the right, Paul's vision. The church permits photos, as long as you don't use flash. The clarity of the photos is due to reworking them with PaintShopPro.

Next, pictures of the Spanish steps and the fountain in the Piazza Spagna.

A bronze statue of St. Francis and his brothers faces St. John Lateran, where he met Pope Innocent III; the Lateran Palace is next door.

A few blocks away is the church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, which claims to have had the relics of the passion since St. Helena brought them from Jerusalem in the 4th century; they include the Titulus (signboard over the cross), two thorns, pieces of the wood of the cross, and the cross-beam of the cross of the "good thief."

The Pantheon, once a temple to the pagan gods, now the Basilica of Santa Maria ad Martyres. The bronze doors are original.